Slow Mac Mini (Early 2009)

Question

Our early 2009 mac mini continually gives the spinning wheel when opening apps and is very slow overall.  Would someone be so kind as to look over our Etresoft info and provide some recommendation to improve performance please?  Thanks so much!EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)Report generated March 25, 2015 at 11:48:25 AM EDTDownload EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheckClick the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.Hardware Information: ℹ️    Mac mini (Early 2009) (Technical Specifications)    Mac mini - model: Macmini3,1    1 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core    4 GB RAM Upgradeable        BANK 0/DIMM0            2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok        BANK 1/DIMM0            2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok    Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported    Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/nVideo Information: ℹ️    NVIDIA GeForce 9400 - VRAM: 256 MB        E2041 1600 x 900 @ 60 HzSystem Software: ℹ️    OS X 10.10.2 (14C1514) - Time since boot: 0:36:56Disk Information: ℹ️    Hitachi HTS543232L9SA02 disk0 : (320.07 GB)        EFI (disk0s1) &lt;not mounted&gt; : 210 MB         Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 319.21 GB (224.36 GB free)        Recovery HD (disk0s3) &lt;not mounted&gt;  [Recovery]: 650 MB     PIONEER DVD-RW  DVRTS08  USB Information: ℹ️    Brother MFC-J825DW     Apple, Inc. Keyboard Hub         Apple, Inc Apple Keyboard     Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver     Logitech USB RECEIVER     Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub         Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller Gatekeeper: ℹ️    Mac App Store and identified developersKernel Extensions: ℹ️        /Applications/VMware Fusion.app    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmci (2.0.2) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmioplug (2.0.2) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmnet (2.0.2) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.vmware.kext.vmx86 (2.0.2) [Click for support]        /System/Library/Extensions    [not loaded]    com.ZTE.driver.ZTEUSBCDCACMData (1.3.9) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWDrv (10.5.24) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.kext.wwan (3.0.15) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverInt (0.0.40) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverVSP (0.0.40) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraDevSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraFSCSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraFSRSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraHSRSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.smithmicro.driver.SMSIWirelessModem (3.2.7) [Click for support]        /System/Library/Extensions/NovatelWirelessWWAN.kext/Contents/PlugIns    [not loaded]    com.NovatelWireless.driver.NovatelWirelessUSBCDCECMControl (3.0.15) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.NovatelWireless.driver.NovatelWirelessUSBCDCECMData (3.0.15) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.driver.3G (3.0.15) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.driver.3GData (3.0.15) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.driver.DisableAutoInstall (3.0.15) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.driver.NWVBE (3.0.15) [Click for support]        /System/Library/Extensions/PTUMWDrv.kext/Contents/PlugIns    [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWCDFree (10.5.24) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWCSP (10.5.24) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWDIAG (10.5.24) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWMdmControl (10.5.24) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWMdmData (10.5.24) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWUSBMergeNub (10.5.24) [Click for support]        /System/Library/Extensions/SMSIWirelessModem.kext/Contents/PlugIns    [not loaded]    com.smithmicro.driver.SMSIWirelessCDC (3.2.7) [Click for support]    [not loaded]    com.smithmicro.driver.SMSIWirelessSerial (3.2.7) [Click for support]Startup Items: ℹ️    HP IO: Path: /Library/StartupItems/HP IO    HP Trap Monitor: Path: /Library/StartupItems/HP Trap Monitor    Startup items are obsolete in OS X YosemiteLaunch Agents: ℹ️    [running]    com.brother.LOGINserver.plist [Click for support]    [running]    com.kodak.BonjourAgent.plist [Click for support]    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Click for support]Launch Daemons: ℹ️    [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Click for support]    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.JavaUpdateHelper.plist [Click for support]    [failed]    com.vmware.launchd.vmware.plist [Click for support]User Launch Agents: ℹ️    [loaded]    com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]    [failed]    com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-@me.com-SharedServices.Agent.plist [Click for details]    [loaded]    com.kodak.KODAK AiO Firmware Updater.plist [Click for support]    [loaded]    com.kodak.KODAK AiO Software Updater.plist [Click for support]User Login Items: ℹ️    HP Scheduler    Application  (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/Software Update/HP Scheduler.app)Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️    NPDjVu: Version: Unknown [Click for support]    Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10    PrintDialogExt: Version: 6.1 [Click for support]    NP2020Player: Version: 4.5.2.0 [Click for support]    OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.3.6 [Click for support]    FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]    Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 Outdated! Update    iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0    QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3    AdobePDFViewer: Version: 9.5.5 [Click for support]    CANONiMAGEGATEWAYDL: Version: 2.1.0.1 [Click for support]    GarminGpsControl: Version: 4.0.2.6 Beta - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]    CANONiMAGEGATEWAYLI: Version: 2.1.0.1 [Click for support]    JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 8 Update 31 Check version3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️    Flash Player  [Click for support]    Java  [Click for support]Time Machine: ℹ️    Time Machine not configured!Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️        18%    mds        10%    WindowServer         9%    firefox         0%    AppleSpell         0%    fontdTop Processes by Memory: ℹ️    374 MB    firefox    73 MB    WindowServer    43 MB    mds_stores    43 MB    Finder    34 MB    softwareupdatedVirtual Memory Information: ℹ️    42 MB    Free RAM    1.73 GB    Active RAM    1.69 GB    Inactive RAM    459 MB    Wired RAM    6.42 GB    Page-ins    934 MB    Page-outsDiagnostics Information: ℹ️    Mar 25, 2015, 11:08:44 AM    Self test - passed    Mar 25, 2015, 11:04:06 AM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/plugin-container_2015-03-25-11 0406_[redacted].crash    Mar 25, 2015, 09:37:36 AM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/WindowServer_2015-03-25-093736_[redacted].cpu_r esource.diag [Click for details]    Mar 24, 2015, 09:16:48 AM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/garcon_2015-03-24-091648_[reda cted].crash

Lanny · Answer

How long ago did you upgrade?It appears that "Spotlight" is still indexing (Top Processes by CPU, 18% mds)Note: Maximum RAM for a 3.1 is 8 Gigs.

Linc Davis · Answer

When you see a beachball cursor or the slowness is especially bad, note the exact time: hour, minute, second.   These instructions must be carried out as an administrator. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.The title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn&#x27;t, select          SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messagesfrom the log list on the left. If you don&#x27;t see that list, select          View ▹ Show Log Listfrom the menu bar at the top of the screen.Each message in the log begins with the date and time when it was entered. Scroll back to the time you noted above.Select the messages entered from then until the end of the episode, or until they start to repeat, whichever comes first.Copy the messages to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of it useless for solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.Please don&#x27;t indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.Please don&#x27;t post screenshots of log messages—post the text.Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.